Ceratopetalum 'Magenta Star'

Ceratopetalum gummiferum 'Magenta Star'

ORIGIN:Ceratopetalum'Magenta Star' arose as a seedling of Ceratopetalum gummiferum in Brown's Wholesale Nursery, Wollongong. The name refers to the colouration of the leaves. The cultivar was first received by the Authority in July 1985. Registration applied for by Mr R Brown, Bulli, New South Wales.

DESCRIPTION: This cultivar is a shrub to 3.5m tall by 3m wide. The new growth is a dark magenta-purple which gradually fades as the leaves age. The undersides of the leaves are a darker colour than the upper surfaces, and the leaf margins hold the colouration even when the leaf ages. The midveins of the leaves are a prominent red when the leaves are young and these change to a prominent greenish-yellow as the leaves age.

DIAGNOSIS: The purplish appearance of the new growth is the most distinctive feature of this cultivar; in usual forms it is green.

CULTIVATION: Conditions required in cultivation are the same as for the taxon.